Robbery-proof teller&#39;s section for banking institutions



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May 16, 1961 J. A. JENNINGS ROBBERY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fln i INVENTOR. JOSEPH AJENNINGS A rroz/vsr y 1961 J. A. JENNINGS 2,984,194

ROBBERY-PROOF TELLER'S SECTION FOR BANKING INSTITUTIONS Filed Oct. 12, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH A.JENNINGS A 7' 7'02 NE Y United States Patent ROBBERY-PROOF TELLERS SECTION FOR BANKING INSTITUTIONS Joseph A. Jennings, 169 Clawson St., Staten Island, N.Y. Filed Oct. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 845,924

Claims. (Cl. 109-4) This invention relates to banks and, more particularly, to a robbery proof tellers section therefor.

With the increase in the number of recent bank robberies, it is almost a necessity to provide safe operating conditions for tellers in banks. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a robbery proof teller section for banking institutions which is extremely safe, will prevent injury to the teller and bystanders, and which will trap the person attempting a robbery.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a teller section for banking institutions in which a customer booth is provided adjacent to the tellers window, which booth is provided with closure means for automatically entrapping a person attempting a robbery until subdued by police.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a robbery proof teller section of the type described in which direct contact between the teller and the customer is eliminated, thus pr venting threats and injury to the teller under all conditions.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken with the ac companying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of a robbery proof tell r section made in accordance with one form of the present invention in actual use;

Figure 2 is a transverse cross sectional view of certain parts of the assembly shown in Figure 1, illustrating the use of a safety shield during the opening of the teller window;

Figure 3 is a transverse cross sectional view of still other parts of the assembly shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a teller section of the type shown in Figures 1 to 3, from the exterior of the tellers booth;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the inside of the tellers booth;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a slightly modified form of construction.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to Figures 1 to 5 thereof, a robbery proof tellers section 10 made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a reinforced counter 12 having a rigidified supporting section 15 which may be bomb proof and bulletproof. On the customers side of the counter 12, a customer booth 14 is provided which has a single access opening 16 through which customers may walk one at a time, all other such customers 17 awaiting their turn outside of the customer booth 14. The customer booth is also provided with a fast acting sliding door 18 which may be actuated by the teller 20 within the teller booth 42 to lock the customer 22 attempting a robbery within the customer booth 14.

Direct contact between the teller 20 and customer 22 is prevented by a transparent bullet proof and bomb proof glass door panel 24 having a vertically sliding window 26 which is normally in a raised closed position. Any material passing between the teller and the customer, such as cash, deposit slips, and the like may be accomplished through the use of a substantially U-shaped trough 28, 30 opening at opposite ends on the opposite sides of the partition panel 24. Since both openings 28, 30 are at the same level, the teller cannot be brought into the line of fire of a would be robber.

Larger parcels, such as brief cases, money bags, and the like may be received by the teller 20 by lowering the window 26. However, as the window 26 is lowered, a safety window or shield 32 is raised, thus allowing the teller to reach around the sides of the window 32 to receive such larger parcels, following which the ordinary window 26 is raised and the guard shield 32 dropped. The window 26 and guard shield 32 are operated by means of hydraulic or electric operators 34 which guide the window 26 and shield 32 through spaced apart guide rollers 36. These units 34 may be controlled by a single switch 38 mounted upon the teller side of the counter 12. The teller booth 42 is also provided with a foot operated alarm switch 40 and a bomb bag 44 into which any suspicious packages may be safely placed.

It will now be recogniztd that any attempted robbery is virtually eliminated since the would-be robber is automatically trapped within the customer booth 14 in the event that the teller 20 actuates the floor switch 40 which sounds an alarm and automatically shuts the fast acting door 18. The interior of the customer booth may then be filled with tear gas, so that the wouldbe robber may be readily subdued upon the arrival of guards or policemen. All of the panels and partitions of the assembly are bomb proof and fire proof, so that waiting customers 17 may not be injured.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawing, all of the operating parts are substantially identical to those hereinbefore described. In this arrangement, however, the counter 52 is so formed as to define the sides of the customer booth, so that the opening into it may be readily closed by a pair of fast acting sliding doors 54. In this arrangement, waiting customers 56 would be protected in the event that a wouldbe robber 22 attempts to intimidate the teller 20. This particular arrangement 50 may be readily incorporated in newly built banking institutions, whereas the arrangement illustratsd in Figures 1 to 6 is more readily adapted to existing installations having straight counters 12.

Other than for the arrangement of the counter 12, 52 the embodiments illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 and Figure 6 are substantially the same.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A robbery-proof tellers section for banking institutions comprising, in combination, a counter, a tellers booth on one side of said counter, a customer booth on the opposite side of said counter, a transparent panel separating the opposite sides of said counter, a passageway through said counter from said opposite sides thereof, a teller controlled closure for said customer booth, said counter comprising a reinforced separating partition, and a reinforced horizontal working surface, said passageway comprising a substantially V-shaped opening defined by said horizontal work panel of said counter opening on opposite sides of said transparent panel at substantially the same horizontal level, said transparent panel comprising a central window portion, said central window portion comprising a bullet-proof and bomb proof transparent section selectively movable between a vertically raised closed position and a vertically lowered open position to facilitate the passage of large parcels and bulky items between said teller booth and said customer booth.

2. A robbery proof tellers section as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a safety shield slidably carried by said counter for selective movement between a normally lowered and an adjusted elevated position in response to lowering of said window from said normally raised position to said adjusted lowered position, said safety shield and said window being in laterally spaced apart parallel relationship, said safety shield being on the inside of said tellers booth.

3. A robbery proof tellers section as set forth in claim 2, wherein said customer booth comprises a single access opening, and said closure comprises a sliding door selectively movable between a normally open position and an adjusted closed position relative to said access opening.

4. A robbery proof tellers section as set forth in claim 2, wherein said customer booth includes a single access opening, and said closure comprises a pair of sliding doors selectively movable between a normally open spaced apart position adjacent to said access opening and an adjusted closed position blocking access through said access opening.

5. A robbery proof tellers section as set forth in claim 4, wherein said customer booth is defined by re entrant portions of said counter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 974,564 Frank Nov. 1, 1910 1,583,827 lckis May 11, 1926 1,640,572 Kennedy et al. Aug. 30, 1927 1,683,800 Platt L. Sept. 11, 1928 1,732,270 Inglis Oct. 22, 1929 2,401,226 Calvert May 28, 1946 

